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Packaging Regulations Agreement

All companies (except registered charities) that have a turnover of £2 million or more and that handle a minimum of 50 tonnes of packaging per annum must abide by The Packing Regulations (Producer Responsibility Obligations Regulations1997).

These regulations are the Government's response to the 94/62/EC Directive on Packaging Waste. The main emphasis of the regulations is to prompt recycling and recovery of packaging and to reduce the amount of packaging waste sent to landfill sites. It's set to target those companies that supply packaging, which they own, to another stage in the packaging chain or to the final user of the packaging. The "producer" then picks up a proportion of the obligation on the packaging handled depending on the activity that has been carried out.

BATF members are offered a discounted support service from packaging specialists Biffpack, part of Biffa, the UK’s leading provider of waste management services. They will take over the management of the company's legal obligations and assist members in every way with regards to these regulations in an attempt to keep these regulations as manageable as possible. The assistance includes, when required:

1) Explanation of the regulations.
2) Keeping members up-to-date with changes in the regulations.
3) Site audits including weighing of packaging.
4) Creation of spreadsheets to assist the collection of the data.
5) Calculation of the obligation.
6) Processing the required information and passing it to the Environment Agency.
7) Attend Environment Agency audits should the Environment Agency want to visit the company.
8) Take on the legal responsibility for discharging the obligation of the company.
9) Purchase the required evidence for discharging the obligation – the company is charged for their required evidence.
10) Give online help throughout the year.